Where is this?

A familiar cot, a familiar wall, the wall is full of bows, except for the second row, which is Tony's place.

Isn't this your own room?

Locke touched his body, Tony was still with him, and the quiver was there, but why did he suddenly return home?

One second it was still in the water, and in the blink of an eye, it went home?

Besides, why is it so dark in the house? I don't even have an oil lamp on...

"Where's Locke, where's the kid?" a familiar voice from outside came into the bedroom, and it could be heard from the tone that the person who spoke was anxious and urgent.

"Mother's voice!" Locke could tell at once that it was Mother's voice.

He was just about to open the door and come out of the bedroom when he heard another familiar voice:

"I didn't find it, and I didn't find it in the woods. ”

It's Daddy's voice!

You can hear that they are anxious about Locke's disappearance.

Locke opened the door and saw his parents curled up in the dark.

"No, Lorna, we'll split up!"

The mother was ready to get up, and she was going to find her son by herself.

"Are you crazy, Leah?" Dad quickly stopped her, "There are bandits out there!

Leah is Locke's mother, a virtuous and kind woman. Leah and Lorna are a loving couple, but their past has never been mentioned to Locke.

"And what about Locke?" Leah couldn't stop crying, but she still had to keep her voice down, "He's only twelve..."

"Rest assured, he won't be in danger. Have you forgotten?"

After Lorna finished speaking, Leah stopped talking, just kept sobbing.

"Mommy, Mommy, I'm here!" Locke walked over to his parents and beckoned to them.

However, the parents in front of them did not react.

"Daddy, Mommy, I'm back!" Locke shouted again, but to no avail.

What's going on?

According to what Dad said, the bandits outside should be the ones who chased Locke, and the conversation between the parents should be worried about Locke's disappearance today. In the past, although Locke was naughty, he always kept the promise of "going home before dark", except today.

"Daddy, I'm back! Mom, I'm here!"

Locke yelled at his parents repeatedly, but they still didn't respond.

"Leah, I promise you, I'll find my son. Lorna comforted his wife, "But you promise me one thing, okay?"

"No," Leah took Lorna's hand, as if she already knew what he was going to say, "I don't promise you, I don't..."

"Stop it, dear!" Lorna struggled to control his emotions, "You want to be a wild man for the rest of your life?"

Savages are creatures in the Borderlands that are not protected by any nation. There are no country-specific family marks on their skins, and their life and death have nothing to do with any country.

Obviously, the town of Kailin is in the Borderlands, so the people who live in the town are all savages.

"And what about you?" Leah asked, still sobbing, to her lover, "will you go back to Loren with us?"

Lorraine?

Where does Locke seem to have heard the word, Loraine, referring to the Lorain League in the eastern part of the world?

"No, I'm not going back. Lorna let go of his hand, "That's not my home. ”

"If it's not your home, it's not my home!" Leah grabbed her lover's hand again and put it on her chest, "Only when we are together, is it called home." ”

Lorna looked at Leah, his eyes full of guilt, and he touched his lover's head, feeling the pain of the good wife and mother now.

"Alright, I'll go get him back," Lorna stood up, bow and quiver on his back, "you must promise me not to go out at home, okay?"

Leah nodded, "I'll be at home and waiting for you to come back." ”

"Daddy, don't go out! I'm already back!" Seeing that Dad was about to leave, Locke stepped forward to stop him.

However, Dad walked directly through Locke's body and walked out.

"Daddy!

Locke was in a hurry and followed.

The moment he stepped out of the door, a bright light suddenly came into his eyes...

"Daddy!"

With a shout, Locke woke up.

It turned out to be just a dream...

Locke sat on the ground, using a quick gasp to calm his emotions. He was called for a long time, but his parents didn't respond, which really made him very anxious.

Moreover, everything is too realistic, coincidental time, coincidental story... Is this really a coincidence?

But where is this?

Locke gradually calmed down, opened his eyes, and looked around.

It was a small lawn in the middle of the lake, and he sat on the grass, surrounded by the deep black water.

"Bah! You can't chew it...", an old man's slightly hoarse voice came from behind him.

Locke turned around, and then noticed that there was a big tree, a strange big tree, on the lawn in the middle of the lake.

The trunk of the tree is thick and wrinkled, making it look like a thousand-year-old tree. The branches are densely packed, but there is not a single leaf.

"Who? who is talking?" Locke picked up his arrow, cautiously, and walked towards the ancient tree step by step, and he clearly heard the sound of someone talking from the direction of the tree.

"Don't be nervous, young man—" Suddenly, a wrinkled face was printed on the trunk of the old tree, "If you can see me alive, it means that I will not eat you." ”

Locke had also seen some elves and monsters in Kailin Town, but they were all small and cute, and this was the first time he had seen such an old face.

"Who are you!" Locke paused, keeping a relatively safe distance from the old tree, holding his bow and always on the lookout, "Why am I here?"

"Why are you here?" said Old Tree, jokingly repeating Locke's words, "how do I know?

It was right, Locke had walked into the swamp on his own, even though he had been chased and killed.

Locke put down "Tony", bowed to the old tree, and said:

"I'm sorry to bother you, I was chased by bandits to break into here by mistake, and I didn't mean to offend, please understand. ”

"'Barbarian'?" the old tree seemed to be amused by this word, "The strong men in the world are actually called 'barbarians' by you?"

"Do you know them?" Locke felt as if he had met a friend of his enemies as he heard it praise the bandits.

"Don't talk about them, I know all the races in the world. The old tree twisted his wrinkled face and said proudly.

"Really, why do you know all the races in the world?" asked Locke in disbelief.

"Why should I tell you?" the old tree stared at Locke, his wrinkled eyes. Its eyes, like black pearls, were deep but faintly reflected, "What good can you give me?"

"I—" Locke looked at his body, the only copper coin was also spent, and "Tony" was not for sale, "What do you want?"

"I want to eat..."The old tree deliberately slowed down his speech, narrowed his eyes, and his mouth was full of wrinkles and turned up slightly, "Human souls!"

Locke was so frightened that he took two steps back, this monster can actually eat human souls!

"Don't worry, young man. The old tree's demeanor returned to normal, "Your soul is too hard, I can't chew..."

Only then did Locke understand that the "chewing can't move" he just heard should be talking about his own soul. So, if you can lure those six bandits over, maybe...

"Good!" Locke resolutely promised the old tree, "I will bring the soul to you." ”

"Young children can't lie," the old tree smiled slightly, "otherwise, I will chase to the ends of the earth to collect debts." ”

"Don't worry. Locke patted his chest, "I'll keep my promise, as long as you tell the truth." ”

The old tree narrowed his eyes as if staring at Locke. This made Locke feel uncomfortable, this twelve-year-old kid didn't know what the old demon in front of him was thinking.

"You ask, what do you want to know?" the old tree finally spoke, and someone offered to help it find food, which was a good condition that could not be refused.

"I just had a dream..."

"That's not a dream, that's what happened tonight. The old tree seemed to have known that Locke would ask this question, and before he could finish speaking, the answer blurted out.

"You're saying that what I saw and heard was really happening at home at this time?" Locke really couldn't understand why he saw this, "but why would I..."

"Your name is Locke, and you're a naughty ghost in the town of Kailin, aren't you?" Old Tree suddenly changed the subject, "Your father Lorna is the only hunter in town, and your mother Leah is kind-hearted and a good wife and mother. ”

"How do you know?" This strange tree spirit is so familiar with the Locke family!

"I'm an elder, and I know where my roots can stretch and what happens, if I want to know. The old tree said proudly, as if showing off his abilities.

"But I'm just an ordinary person," Locke didn't show any admiration, but wondered, "why do I know what happened at home tonight?"

"This... It's because you're fatal. ”

"Fate?"

"I still don't explain, I'm afraid I'll scare you. Lao Shu paused, not wanting to answer the question, "Is there anything else to ask? Time is running out." ”

"I'm in a dream... No, it's not a dream..."Locke lowered his head and organized his words, "I heard my mother say 'Loran', referring to the Loland Alliance in the East?"

"You're smart, young man. Old Tree looked at Locke with admiration, "There are four countries in this world, the Ace Empire in the north, the mountain tribes in the west, the Ilan Dynasty in the south, and the Luolan Alliance in the east. The 'Loraine' in your mother's mouth refers to the Lorain Alliance. ”

"Why did Mom mention Lorain?" Locke knew about the Four Kingdoms, but he didn't know why Mom said that.

"Little savage," the old tree called Locke in a slightly mocking tone, "you have lived in the war for twelve years, don't you feel afraid?"

"Scared?" Locke grew up all the way, with his mother caring for him and his father protecting him, and he didn't encounter any danger at all, "Of course he won't be afraid." With Mom and Dad here, I'm not afraid. ”

"What if... Are they gone?" said the old tree meaningfully, as if he had foreseen something.

"Why aren't they here? Are they leaving me? Are they going to Lorain?" Locke was still a naïve child, and when he heard Lao Shu ask this, his heart suddenly became nervous.

He was afraid of being separated from his relatives, because they had been together for the past twelve years. If Lao Shu said a prophecy, he really didn't know what would wait for him in the next world.

"No, no, no, I don't have the ability to predict the future, don't be nervous. "I just want to ask you, who in the world can avoid war?"

"Who can avoid war?" Locke pondered, "who..."

"People with clan names, right?" the old tree saw that Locke did not answer for a long time, and said it himself.

The term "ethnic person" refers to the nationals of the four major countries who live in their own country, have their own ethnic seal, and are protected by their own country. Obviously, a "savage" is a person who has no ethnic name.

"Your mother will say that if you go back to Loraine, that would be a sign..."

"Mom is a Loraine, not a savage?" Locke's eyes widened as if he had discovered a big secret, and he blurted out, "Is that right?"

"The possibilities are high. The old tree squinted his eyes and replied.

"Don't you know a lot of things, then you should know my mother's background?" Locke was not satisfied with the old tree's answer, he wanted a definite answer, not a "possibility".

"I'm just a brain, stupid!" the old tree looked excited, and roared as he inhaled, and the withered branches on his head suddenly became energetic and straightened, "Why should I remember so many inconsequential things?"

"Oh..."

Locke was frightened by its anger. After chatting for so long, he thought that the tree spirit in front of him was just an old and kind elder, but he didn't expect to get angry.

"Alright, the sun is coming out, and I'm going to rest. The old tree calmed down for a while, and the branches on his head continued to droop, "Remember our agreement to bring a delicious soul to me." ”

"Are you leaving?" Locke still had a lot of questions left unasked, and he really didn't want to stop there.

"It's not that I'm leaving, it's that you're leaving, little ghost!" Old Tree's emotions were stimulated by Locke again, "This is my territory!"

"Oh," Locke hurriedly responded, not wanting to face another roar, "then how do I get out of your territory? Wandering?"

Locke loves to fish and is a good swimmer, but he is terrified when he sees the dead waters.

The old tree stopped talking and began to close his eyes.

"Where's your name? You haven't introduced yourself yet! My name is Locke!"

Suddenly, the meadow in the middle of the lake began to sink, and the lake slowly rose.

Locke tried to run in the direction of the old tree, but his feet felt like they were stuck to the grass, and he couldn't move.

"Help me!" Locke shouted at the old tree, but the old tree still closed his eyes and was indifferent, "Hey, help me!"

Seeing the lake overflowing Locke's chest, the old tree opened his eyes slightly and looked at Locke,

"Stinky boy, call me Prophes. 'Ten Thousand Elders' Prophes. ”

"Profuss?" Locke said the strange name, and the lake quickly flooded over his head.